Woman's ensemble (jacket, pants, blouse, belt, cravat)

A member of the new wave of Japanese designers that revolutionized Paris fashion in the 1980s, Yohji Yamamoto is considered one of the most important designers working today. Known for his novel silhouettes and non-traditional approach to forms and fabrics, Yamamoto's complex, layered silhouettes have consistently challenged traditional notions of female beauty while contributing to a new understanding of the relationship between clothing and the body. One of his signature garments has been the classic tailored suit, for both men and women. In Yohji's hands this icon of power and sexuality becomes not only an androgynous object, but a radically new form, through his deliberate alteration of scale and construction. This ensemble comes from his Spring 2007 Collection, and features a gray wool gauze tailcoat with a surprising corset-like front tie closure. It is paired with cotton trousers with one leg pleated into a full skirt (reminiscent of traditional Japanese trousers, called hakima) and a white silk shirt and cravat. The unexpected combination plays on an elegant, masculine-feminine line.